Yahoo launches "app search" apps

Erica, 16th June 2011

If you're happy with the current methods of finding apps, Yahoo is throwing its hat into the ring.
The once dominant search company has launched new apps on the Android Market and the iTunes App Store that allow users to search for apps on the respective platform.

The company uses its own proprietary search algorithms and says results will be more personalized than the existing options available.

Of course, for both operating systems, there are already multiple ways to search for apps. Because every iPhone and iPad app is available on the Web version of iTunes, it's possible to search for apps through Google or any other search engine.

And with Android, because it's an open platform there are a multitude of third-party app sources, not the least of which is the Amazon Appstore, which has gained high marks for its organization and searchability of apps.

Nevertheless, Yahoo thinks it brings value to the plate with its own method of searching for apps, and it does have one edge - cross-platform searching, so you'll know if an app is available on both iOS and Android.

In addition, there's also a Web-based version of the new Yahoo app, so you can compare and contrast the availability between Android and iPhone before you decide which new smartphone to buy.